A Strange Man Comes to Town
by an-earl
Summary: "Gentlemen," she said, pushing a note of terror into her voice. People in important clothes liked to feel in control. She let them have that. She deliberately fiddled with the bow, feeling the outline of the dagger securely in place. "What may I do for you? At this hour?" Series of deleted scenes and side stories from 'Who is the Monster.'
1. Double, Toil, Trouble

You might want to read/ reread the flashback in chapter 11 of Who is the Monster before this one...

* * *

Double, Toil, Trouble

 **Duchy of Württemberg**

 **South-east Germany**

 **20 something years later...**

Voices sounded outside. Hushed and muffled: directions to circle and snuff out. The middle-aged woman tucked a dagger in the folds of her dress bow. Just in case. She heard them creeping around her wooden house, creaking the floorboards around the front door and stone floor. It was the early hours of the morning, some time before the sun would rise. And her family would find her missing. And her husband would return from the war to find her dead. She tied her hair up into a presentable bun.

Without a tinge of hesitation, a change in colour on her cheek, she unlocked the door and pulled it open before the men outside woke her family. Her eyes were accustomed to the dark. Five men stood beyond the crack in her door, all dressed in pristine white. Expensive garments. Important garments. One had his hand stretched out, ready to knock on the door, and he abruptly pulled back. She pulled the door open the rest of the way.

"Gentlemen," she said, pushing a note of terror into her voice. People in important clothes liked to feel in control. She let them have that. She let her figure shrink, deliberately fiddled with the bow. Feeling the outline of the dagger securely in place. "What may I do for you? At this hour?" She pushed surprise into her voice. Shake it up a little.

"Miss Elizabet." A short, well-groomed man stepped forward, tapping on the first man's shoulder. The first man straightened up immediately and took too many steps to reach his destination — behind the leader's back. "We have heard of you from the peasants," he said, smiling with tight lips.

"Perhaps because I, too, am a peasant, Sir. Whatever may you need from a lowly woman like me?"

"We are not noblemen, Miss Elizabet, you can speak freely with us," the leader continued. He cracked a small smile. "Well, not the kind you think, anyway."

Elizabet nodded her head excessively.

"We have heard that an incident occurred here, many years ago. We have heard that a certain…man had sought council with you. This man was a witch-boy."

Her lips wobbled, and she looked shiftily around the taller, burly men. Elizabet had heard the stories a hundred times and was sick of it. She had forgotten of that uproar up until now, had learnt to live her life without ratty old rumours circling her wherever she went, like vultures about to come down and pick her eyes from her socket. She wasn't dead yet; she wasn't planning to go so easy. But now, years upon years later, this turns up on her doorstep? Elizabet stowed away whatever reaction her younger self would have lashed out with. Carefully, she stepped outside, shutting the door gently behind her. The key clattered to the floor, a creaky clink on wood, and she swiped it under the door with her foot. Elizabet looked up to the moonlight where they could see her, nodding again. Slow and resolute, and asked:

"What do you want with me?"

The leader smiled widely, not smug, not mocking, just smiled with warmth on a cold night. "Miss Elizabet, would you like to take a short walk with us, pray?"

"How could I refuse?" She held out her arm.

The leader raised his brows. He wasn't expecting that. He closed the gap between them and took the lady's hand.

"Where are we going?"

"Just to have a chat, Miss." She was far too old to be referred to as _Miss._ Elizabeth took his hand and daintily followed the nobleman's leader out into the bush. Into the forest and then into the mouth of a valley. She twisted her head around incessantly the entire journey. Did they think she was lost? Think again. They didn't need to go so far if they didn't want anyone to hear her scream. For that, they needn't have left her front door.

They slowed as they came into a clearing. It smelt of smoke and burnt dirt. A fire had been quelled recently. Some cut down logs were placed around a pile of ashes that must had been used as seats. Elizabet opened and closed her mouth, giving the nobleman at her side a cue to talk. _Talk. Stop wasting my time._ "Miss Elizabet," he began again, sentences too slow and slagging for her liking. Could he ever just spit it out?

"This is about—"

"Faust," she finished for him.

"So you do know."

"So I've heard." She sat down on the seat provided before anyone offered. "You must have heard from everyone that I. Don't. _Remember_." She sighed involuntarily. "I don't believe in witches or wizards or sorcery, Sir," she said, words slower than even his. "And I don't believe what I can't see with my own eyes. If the devil walked among us, wouldn't we certainly all be dead? Don't be absurd."

The nobleman tilted his head in what looked like was reluctant agreement.

She continued, "Faust is a story. Nothing more. A story of a man, perhaps, but _no._ Not a devil."

"What do you remember of him, Elizabet?" His tone turned far too friendly.

 _Blue._

"He stopped an axe from falling. Tough, but not impossible feat."

"His hands started to burn," the nobleman prodded.

 _Purple._

"Hearsay."

"You defended him."

 _Black._

"How could I defend someone I don't positively know?" Elizabet looked up, squinted away her supposed fear. She bared her neck to one side. Enough of those stories. "I hit my head that day. The villagers think I'm delirious. I might be. I'm ageing. I don't remember what happened."

The nobleman crossed his arms, moved his long legs on the spot. "Elizabet, what if I told you that we could help jog those memories of yours?" he asked, pulling a hand off of his mouth.

"What do you mean?" She willed her hand away from the hardness of the dagger.

"I mean, we are looking for this man called 'Faust.'"

"You're looking for a children's tale," she corrected, dusting off the ends of her skirt now. "Some wild man that waltzed into the village over twenty-something years ago. _Faust, the devil's man._ Quite childish, don't you think?" She peered up from her lap, smiling serenely.

"Don't tell me you don't wonder why there are blanks in your mind, Miss Elizabet."

Elizabet looked over to the trail. It would be hard to run through that bush again, despite those tall men having flattened a path. Besides, there was not much to do. Many of the villagers were off for war. Who was left to cut these intruders down? Elizabet pursed her lips.

"An old woman has a waning memory. How odious," she murmured.

The noblemen broke out a large, fangy beam. Those canine's were far too large for his slow-slurring mouth. "But you'll let us try? It is quite important. Of the utmost, Miss Elizabet. This man is very significant to us."

"How so?"

The man swallowed. "He stole something."

"What?"

The nobleman might have chuckled in a way that said he was losing his patience. If Elizabet was going to found in this part of the valley, another twenty odd years later from now, she'll be sure to waste as much of these men's time as she could. Screw them, screw their fancy, white clothes and screw their 'Faust.' The holes in her memory meant nothing, if she were to give them a shred of information she might have forgotten.

 _Blue,_

 _purple,_

 _black._

The colours buried deep in her mind didn't budge when she tried to remember. She didn't care. Those colours made her feel annoyed. Nothing but a faint itch she couldn't scratch in the sinkhole of that memory.

 _Blue dashes,_

 _purple heat,_

 _black somethings,_

Elizabet bit back her taunts, just sighed again. Made herself seem tired. She really was. "I'm afraid I'm not in the slightest bit useful to you, Sir."

The nobleman walked behind her. Through the rustle of footsteps, she could hear the men go off into the distance. They were leaving her with the leader? Alone? Elizabet perked up. Against one man, her dagger might see some use after all. She dragged down her eyesight as he neared again.

The nobleman approached her, and without warning, crouched. He stuck his face under hers, drawing her chin up. She let him. "This matter of your memories might will be solved in a simple tick, Elizabet," he said. "All you need to do, is look into my eyes."

It took every ounce of energy in her, and her twenty year history of staying-straight faced when someone tried accusing her of being a witch, that she held in a scoff. She quickly turned away, hoping to keep up the charade. The air of the night changed. The man gripped her chin with his sharp nails and forcefully whipped her head around to face him again. Her eyes widened a fraction.

She wasn't surprised by his sudden use of fore. It was his eyes. No longer dark, shadowed by the night; they seemed to be collecting with a strange light. Moonlight distorted around the man's eyes and his pupils bled away into nothing. His eyes were ugly and empty. She stared into them, captivated by something that wasn't nice to look at, wasn't alluring or hypnotising.

Like she'd felt like this before.

 _God._

She'd been through this before, hadn't she?

That thought ripped through her mind, bringing her back to reality.

 _Blue, purple, black._

She'd never let him look at a thing she held in her mind. Elizabeth slammed her fist up the man's chin and jumped to her feet, slamming a knee into his chest for good measure. The suddenness of her own awareness and movement unbalanced her, and she fell to the floor.

Things began to clear and when she looked at the man again, he was still bobbed down, face cocked up in the position she'd hit him. He slowly bought his head down, look of mild inconvenience on his face. Or not even that. His eyes had no pupil or iris. All red. Elizabet's heart began to race. She scrambled to her feet and _ran_.

"Elizabet, _don't leave_. Don't leave we're not done!"

She didn't look back as she mapped her way through the dark, to the closest place she knew where there was still distance from the village. She couldn't lead those monsters back to anyone else. Red eyes. They had Red eyes.

What did they want from her?

 _Blue, purple, black._

She'd reached the farmland. Row by row wheat grains grew in great walls that towered over her head. Elizabet plunged herself into the wad of them and began milling away to the other side. There were oxen on the other side that she could set free — might help. She stopped in a tiny clearing, bending her hands over her knees and panting to catch her breath. There were several men after her. Stupid, really. Should have taken that chance to take out that leading one. Now she'd trapped herself in the wheat fields.

From the tower of wheat behind her, a few whoops and calls sounded. Some clanging sounds. Did they have weapons? Well, didn't matter if they did. Being chopped to death was better than being beaten to death. She thumbed over the dagger and just before she bobbed up, light glowed. A searing sound startled her off of her feet. Wheat rained down. Elizabeth clutched at the dagger now, untangling it from her clothes and held it to the ground, looking up.

The entire top half off the farm grain had been sliced off. Elizabet stopped breathing, holding her moth as she laid covered by the fallen wheat.

"Elizabet?"

"Lizzy!"

"Miss!" They called.

She doubted there was anyone in range to wake up.

"I hope you've hidden well. Feel like child again! How true to real life — I always end up as the villain. I'm always 'it!' "

His ugly proclamation was dripping with disease — or something. It didn't sound normal. His eyes weren't normal. Their _sorcery_ wasn't normal. Elizabeth clambered to her feet and ran again with the new knowledge that threatened to overcome the movement in her legs. This was a game to them. They'd just proven she was at their mercy the entire time, despite her pretence. They let her run for sport. For hunting.

If she were a witch, she'd curse the lot of them. Hand them over to the devil. Elizabeth wasn't afraid of dying herself — she'd practically won back twenty years of her life with that blank in her memory. 'Twas worth it.

And that was when she heard it. More screaming. Though not in laughter or amusement. Screams of pain rang through the night. Loud, shrieking noises blared though the rows of wheat. Her skin jumped at the sounds. She stood where she was, listening to the screeches that seemed to seep through the labyrinth and into her clothes, her fingers, making her feel completely cornered. Had they turned on each other? What for?

But that meant she was truely valuable to them. She could survive this yet. The thing was, did she want to?

She waded back through the wheat, hoping to hide somewhere safe. Water splashed under her feet as she sped past a row. Elizabeth froze. There shouldn't be water here, it hadn't rained for days. Moonlight glistened over the puddle, still rippling from her footfall. Bodies lay in the long grass beside her, limbs all twisted in strange directions. She slowed down into a walk. Elizabeth slipped past the trodden wheat, back into the tangle of the walls. Another voice echoed. A young, enraged one.

Call it curiosity or a sheer, dumb whim. But Elizabeth peeled back the curtain of wheat to see. It was too striking, too out of the blue to hear. English.

 _"How dare you!"_

"Who—"

Someone had pinned one of her captors to the ground.

 _"You piece of—"_

"Please!"

It was the leader, the man with red, red eyes and horrible voice. Moonlight caught the outline of the two, giving the new stranger a tinge of blonde hair and a slim, lean silhouette.

 _"How dare you—"_

Shadows shifted in all directions, lighting up the nobleman's bruised face and the stranger's knee pushing down his chest. His hands were on fire.

"No!"

 _"—go after Elizabeth!"_

Blow after blow landed on the nobleman and the stranger didn't let up. He clenched his hand, and with left hand on shoulder, right rising into the air, beat the nobleman's teeth in.

 _"Bloody scoundrel!"_

Over and over and over.

 _"You think you can—"_

"plea—"

 **Bam, bam, crack.**

 _"—put your filthy fingers near her?"_

 **Bam, crack, Bam.**

"How _goddamned_ dare you go—"

 **Crack.**

"after—"

 **Crick.**

"her!"

He kept pummelling the nobleman. Elizabet watched in shock. After a long, eerie silence, the limbs of the leader going languid, the stranger stopped cursing. He moved off the body, sitting with his knees up and hands braced upon them.

Elizabet had seen enough, and now her heartbeat was cycling to the glimpses of reality trapped within her — with the light of the man's flaming hands, she saw the glimpses match up with the colours.

Blue eyes. Purple flames. Black garments.

Nothing that made sense, yet remembering that was a blow to something inside her.

The purple flames immediately extinguished, but Elizabet saw his head turn not a millisecond too late. She didn't even gasp, just accepted that he'd seen her.

"Lady Elizab—"

With a well-intended thrust, she stabbed her dagger square before her.

 _"Guh!"_ The stranger sucked in a breath. "Hm. I'm terribly sorry. You had to. See….that," he mumbled.

"I told you," she said through her teeth, "I don't know who or what Faust is!" It wasn't like she could get away anymore. "And truthfully, I don't care!"

It was too dark to see, now that light had flashed and threw off her eyes. She stood there, bordered by wheat.

"Of course," he agreed with her quietly, "I apologise," he said, as if she hadn't just put a hole in his chest. Elizabet swallowed. Of course, it hadn't done any damage to him at all.

"Who the hell are you?" she demanded. "Why do you know me? Who are those men?!"

"Lady—"

"I'm too old for you to call me that, you!"

The man took a loud step back. "Forgive me, Madam."

Elizabet bit her lip. "Are you going to silence me."

"Yes."

"I'm far too old to be running," she stated. _Do it already._

She couldn't really see what his expression was, but the stranger drew back even more.

"No — I'm not going to hurt you! I swear, I just want to…" he faltered. "I need to make you forget this."

Elizabet paled. Something clicked, albeit messily.

 _"You did this to me."_ Elizabet clenched her fists, ran her hand into the folds of her clothes where she'd already pulled out her only weapon, still embedded in the stranger's chest. "You — twenty years — you tampered with my mind!" Her voice bubbled with accusation, and her bottled confusion swept in a wave of anger.

"It's been twenty years?" she heard him utter. "Oh. I…it seems so…Time feels different to me."

"It feels like thinking you've been crazy, all this time, like everyone tells you. It feels like someone closed something that's mine, away."

A breeze fluttered over, brushing wheat against Elizabet. When something else dawned on her, her mouth propped open. This was utterly implausible. "How…twenty years ago you…you would have been a child." Confusion flashed over her face.

"I need you to look into my eyes, Ma'am."

Elizabet jolted forward, clasped her hand around the hilt in the man's chest and twisted it. His weight moved with her, bending with the blade as it turned within him. He didn't let out a sound this time, only made a face. Elizabet wobbled back.

"I-I'm sorry. I didn't know he'd tried to extract it from you already. Are — are you ok? He didn't manage to get anything, did he?"

"Is the information all you care about?!" she whispered incredulously.

She might have felt him frown in that silence.

"I just don't want you to remember this night. You shouldn't have to live, knowing people like this exist."

Elizabet scoffed. "People like you, Faust."

That got a response from him.

 _Plick, plick._ She could hear his blood spot the floor, the cold air probably making it sting. It was a marvel he was still standing. Or maybe not.

"We were friends, once," he said, a touch of something distant in his voice. "It's because I put you in danger. Knowing about me would put you in danger. The things you've seen tonight will put you in danger. Bad people will do anything to get information about me. Elizabeth. I mean…please let me take away these memories away from you. I can't have you live with the burden of seeing this."

Faust nodded his head down before freezing. It was a strange, tense moment. It was as if he wanted to bow, lower his head and back in sincerity, but something stopped him. Like the thought that bought Elizabet out of the nobleman's trance, Faust only managed to dip his head. It looked as if some sort of internal struggle had taken ahold — it wasn't pride or arrogance that stopped him, but rather, something else. Did his sense of allegiance to some other Lord make him wobble like that?

Elizabet cleared her throat. "I don't care. No one has permission to remove anything I've seen. I'll live with it. Just like I'd lived with the fact that I've been accused of being a witch."

Faust shuddered.

"Either kill me. Or let me go back to my village."

"Elizabeth," he protested.

"Make your choice, Faust."

"I—" He silenced. "My name's not Faust."

The purple flames crackled alight again. Elizabet balked seeing the wetness from the stab wound. "I need you to look into my eyes. Please. I won't take your memories away. I swear." He placed a flaming hand over his heart, lighting up his eyes.

The bluest blue Elizabet had ever seen. Light, airy and none of the malice she'd seen only a moment ago. His eyes sunk into her, making her dizzy.

And Elizabet remembered.

"Frankenstein?"

* * *

 **Notes**

"Double, double, toil and trouble..." I'm sorry it's from the witch scene in Shakespeare's Macbeth.

I delayed this one forever because I thought it was too cliched. But whatever.

There is no reason for this to exist. I just really liked Elizebet heheheh. I wanted to write more Elizebet. She's so intense. I don't know how old she was in Monster, but she's somewhere in her late 40s to 50s here.

When I was writing it, I was going to make Franken bow for him to show sincerity and persuade Elizabet. But then I thought - isn't that weird? He wouldn't bow to anyone except Rai... hmmmmm. And thats why that part was so random, lol. This more to this one coming.

Thanks.

-earl


	2. The Ends of the Earth

Disclaimer: this has no affiliation with Noblesse.

I didn't add to this side story/deleted scenes collection for the longest time cos I wanted to write a sequel to Double Toil Trouble but...nothing came to me. So, this instead.

This chapter was supposed to slot between 39-40 or in chapter 40 of Who is the Monster, but it didn't flow so it got cut. There's some callbacks to chapter 7 as well - it was my attempt at reconciling Victor Frankenstein to our Noblesse Frankenstein.

* * *

The Ends of the Earth

Frankenstein stood at the tip of the cliffside, looking out beyond the horizon. Below was a dark and perilous sea crashing against the rocks of the shore. There were no marks around him, no break in the smooth sand or unflattened grass. Frankenstein peered over the water, but no matter how hard he tried he couldn't see the other side. He couldn't see the land from which he'd come.

Frankenstein was good at vanishing. He was good at picking out noble mutant contractors from noble knights, which to carve up so that they never had a story to tattle, and which to wipe silly so he would again have never existed to them. He was good at burning covers — the kind doctor had packed up and left one town for another, the skilful hunter had gone into the woods and never come back, the tailor's helping hand had resigned for something better. There were no true records of him left. There were no more friends who knew his name. There were no more people willing to remember it, for all the trouble it had caused.

For another kind of people, _"Human,"_ became his name, and it became more and more spoken, followed behind him closer than ever.

Now the sea between him and the mainland was vast and stormy. It would wash away any trace of him, wash away this shadow of a journey that had never happened. It would be as if Frankenstein had never existed — and that would be for the best. Let the Union run around in circles chasing their tails trying to find a disappeared man, while he put his eyes on the nobles from the inside.

"As expected, the nobles have lost my trail," Frankenstein said, speaking to himself. A bad habit; a habit that had turned bad the moment there was no one there to console. His eyes turned downwards to the rocks, seeing how high up he was. "They'll never imagine I am here in their stronghold. Lukedonia."

His eyes turned up again, looking into a distance that never ended. "How very like them to make such a mistake in their arrogance."

 _"You are not wrong."_

This was the end of where he had been, and would ever be, chased.

It was where all his research and effort had bought him. He hadn't planned to be here so soon, hadn't figured out what to do once he got here, or how to protect himself. He was surrounded and he took a risk and maybe his luck ran out.

"We never imagined you would come here, Human." Gejutel K. Landegre strode out into the open with the air of someone who looked the exact opposite of wanting to engage in light and pleasant conversation.

Soon after, Ragar Kertia appeared at his side, and Frankenstein had to rethink how good he really was at vanishing. Frankenstein put on a smile that wasn't kind.

"Tell your Lord he can come here, if he has business with me. What's it to me, if he's the Lord?" Frankenstein said, proud, "He's Lord over the nobles, and I'm clearly human. He hasn't a right to order me around."

Kertia peeled at his mask, a bad habit his own. "We granted you the grace of delaying your punishment for the unforgivable crimes you have committed. Your hunting of nobles…"

"So that's why you're after me," Frankenstein replied.

Landegre butt-in where he hadn't asked. "If you had not taken the lives of nobles, nor used them in your experiments, our people would not be after your blood. Nor would we, the Clan Leaders, have become involved."

Frankenstein wanted to make him swallow his words. "That's funny," he started, a lilt in his voice, "So nobles are allowed to hunt humans, but humans are forbidden to hunt nobles?"

Kertia turned away sharply and talked while not looking at him. "Hmph. Attributing the deeds of mutants to us nobles? Your actions were fuelled by delusion, then."

Frankenstein gritted his teeth so hard they made audible sound. "So the deeds of mutants have nothing to do with you nobles?" he said, riled, taking personal offence that these high and mighty nobles had not even an idea of what was really happening within their walls, or where they deployed their leeches of knights.

"Mutants are born suddenly, out of nowhere, are they?!"

Landegre's brow furrowed. "Don't be unreasonable, Human," he said, his tongue rolling over the world _reasonable._ "We have no control over the actions of mutants."

 _The man in the ditch whose corpse was days-cold from a dream Frankenstein had yet to have was a friend. Most of the village had been overrun by mutants. The ones that didn't turn were either too injured to or gone. In reality he did dig that ditch himself, he did place the innocent dead to rest, he did linger on his best friend's face as he touched his neck and apologised for everything, anything. For being smart but not smart enough to stop this; for being fast but not fast enough to be here; for being powerful but not powerful enough to be at all places at once, to save everyone who needed it._

"Mutants are created when the human contractees of nobles choose to make other contracts as they please," Kertia stated beside him, like he was stating facts that didn't matter because they didn't affect him at all. "This can be considered the result of human foolishness."

 _The woman in the bed whom Frankenstein had fed his own blood to stave the craving was his mother. The craving was going to kill her if the disease wouldn't first. Back then there was no certainty as to what was culling back half the country. They called it a plague, a curse, a scarlet fever, but Frankenstein knew better. It started with a bite. It always did. In reality she would never crumble, she would never beg to be saved either. She was going to turn into a mutant and there was nothing Frankenstein could do but watch. So he watched her up close, putting his forehead up to hers as she consoled him._

Frankenstein's face twisted. His palpable anger was putting his enemies on edge but he didn't care. "In any case, at the very top of the line of contractors — are _you, nobles."_

Kertia didn't turn at all this time. He didn't even feel the need to share a look with his conspirator, just took his accusation and stood calmly with it.

 _The boy in the snow Frankenstein had scooped up in his arms was frostbitten, paralysed in the face of the mutant he'd freshly dispatched. He was just a boy, and Frankenstein couldn't reimagine the kind of wrenching feeling inside him the moment he discovered he was alive in the wreckage. He made him his apprentice and then taught him how the universe really worked, how much Frankenstein hated nobles for what they'd done to him and the world._

Frankenstein hated nobles.

He hated them for creating this hostile and superstitious world, where people died pointless deaths, greedy monsters infected others for a finite power high, and his entire life had been stolen from him in the blink of an eye. He didn't care about getting his life back. He didn't care about having a first name. In this moment he cared about nothing but killing these careless men, who carelessly walked among humans as if they were gods, and carelessly talked knowing nothing at all about what they had truly done.

Frankenstein wanted to kill nobles, he wanted to kill nobles for sport, he wanted to tamper with their minds to see how they liked it, wanted to spend his last night on earth doing what he'd always dreamed of, if this was the very end of the chase.

Frankenstein was completely alone, more companionless than he had ever cared to realise. He had took a last breath and stole away to Lukedonia. He had nothing but something to prove — humans weren't as sickly and weak as this heedless noblekind thought.

He went to Lukedonia, all grand gestures and flamboyant words, to demonstrate to the nobles that humans were not weak and probably meet his end in the process. Maybe he thought that was how he could best do good in a world that was out to get him. Maybe he had a sliver of a hope that his former apprentice could continue his work, if he wanted it.

"In the end…" Frankenstein stepped towards Ragar, his hand crawling with purple by the time he lashed out, _"Mutants are just monsters that you nobles have created!"_

* * *

 _I'm kind of sad Henry Clerval, Franken's old best friend got nothing when I wrote something for Elizabeth Lavenza, who lived cos I liked her too much in this 'everyone dies' sad Vicki Franken story. Maybe I will do something for him later._

 _All of the dialogue is from chapter 240 and onwards of egscans translated noblesse, (I read from mangareader) which is all killer and made noblesse sound so awesome, and since the switch to the official translations nothing has been the same. Seriously though, the translation quality has gone down so much everyone sounds like mojo jojo. But then again, can't complain since I'm still getting to read noblesse!_


	3. A friend

Deleted scene from Chapter 30 of monster, after the trio, Regis, Seira and Rael all leave Lukedonia to go after Raizel.

* * *

A friend.

Rael looked importantly up at Rajak, nodding intently. "Ok, brother. Take care." He disappeared with the rest of the household.

When Rajak treads through the forrest awhile later, he looked up, seeing the high-speed jet of the Noblesse's charges fly from Lukedonia.

* * *

"Remember, you must tuck in your chin and not your thumbs, stay concealed until the last moment. Our speed is our greatest ally, but that is not the end of our abilities. Tactical concealment — if our enemies cannot see us coming, then that will decide our victory. Our fight is not based on brute strength or power, Rajak, it is the way in which we utilise our speed."

He remembered the first time he struck Ragar Kertia from behind, finally catching his father off guard and sending him crashing against the ground. "M _uh!"_ Ragar smirked through that obvious mask, disappearing in a second and reappearing to knock Rajak back when he was still staring at his shadowy after-image.

"Nice one, Rajak!" he chuckled, helping him up. "You've learnt this much faster than I was capable of. Heh, since you're not the prototype run-through, you'll surpass me very soon." The Kartas dissolved from his hand and Ragar pulled off his mask to smile fully.

"You mean, you didn't create this style? Then the Kertia Leader before you…" Rajak heard himself ask curiously.

Ragar's expression had changed. He was still smiling, bright eyed, but a hint of something else floated over him. "Well…" he started, eyes drifting to the sky, "That's half-right, and half-wrong."

When he saw Rajak's miffed face, Ragar shrugged and went on. "No, this style did originate with me, though I did not create it alone. I acquired help."

Rajak raised his brows, intrigued.

"It started with a funny question, really. 'Why don't I use my skills more efficiently?' I truly did not know how recklessly I used to fight. So, with a training partner, we developed and honed the Kertia's style of fighting to what you are wielding today." A sharp glint glazed over his father's usually reserved look, giving Rajak a mental jab. "How I so wish to fight him again. Or, one last time, at least. I have to demonstrate to him how much more refined our style is now." Ragar beamed at Rajak. "One day."

"Who is it?" Rajak asked.

"Hmmm," Ragar bought a finger to his chin. "A friend." That was all he said.

* * *

He remembered his father, Ragar Kertia, giving him that lesson of speed and silence many times over to get it right, and now he'd perfected it into art form. Completely erasing his aura, absolutely in control of every slight sound his body produced — _punching, walking, breathing_ — he had learnt his father's trade down to every shy detail.

That was the Clan of Kertia's forte for a thousand years. If he saw him now, Ragar Kertia would be so proud of him.

"Hell, I am so _proud_ of you," said another man to Rajak, many years later.

Rajak swung his weight forward, jerking at the last second to create a facade. He twisted himself to face the man from behind. He caught the tinge of a hearty smirk before the man turned his back upon the shadow-image and struck him. Rajak had never fought someone as wild and relentless as he — propelling himself forward before he'd even stopped skidding, jumping before he'd even figured how to land, and throwing around that fiery weapon with more precision than it looked. And _yet,_ in small, sudden moments, he made Rajak recall those sessions with his father, could somehow emulate his fighting, copy his disappearing and, _"Over, here, Kertia."_

How could someone fight him like he'd done it four hundred times before?

Rajak had reached for his Kartas and watched the man's smile widen even more.

"Ra _jak_ Kertia, was it? Hah! — you're impressive. But there's no way in hell I'm letting you win."

Rajak became aware that Frankenstein was one that had fought his father, challenged him to countless fights and brawls, and the occasional chat or stroll after too may bones were broken. He felt stupendous for being so slow. Because it was a long time before he it figured out: when his father told of him with such fondness in his voice in an after-fight adrenaline, of a friend — he was talking about Frankenstein.

* * *

Rajak donned his mask in the forest and left.

* * *

Notes

The Ragar and Franken relationship just intrigues me. Remember when that one chapter came out and it revealed that while Franken said goodbye to Gejutel when he left Lukedonia to look for Rai, he didn't say goodbye to the Lord or Ragar. And then Ragar somehow predicted this would happen and waited out in the woods for him to say goodbye.

I bet Franken was much closer to Ragar than he was with Gejutel, the old man. They fought for funsies all day, Franken helped Ragar optimise his power until Kertia SpeedTM became the brand name and Ragar helped Franken learn how to use Dark Spear to the point where he was A-Ok watching him fight Urokai because lol, weak human who? Ragar "I could not afford to miss such an interesting event" chapter 291 Kertia totally took a side during that fight and it was not his fellow noble Urokai's.

Ragar went to say good bye, saying that they'll meet again, and Frankenstein agreed. They never did.


	4. Goodbyes

The draft said this was supposed to go in chapter 14: Relapse...but I don't know why. Wasn't really needed, especially since we know Franken only said goodbye to Gejutel before leaving Lukedonia.

* * *

Goodbyes

"So you're leaving?"

"Yes." He turned around, his eyes intensely trained on the great doors.

"—without so much as a goodbye?!" The old bugger sounded hurt. Frankenstein's eyes slowly fell shut. _Good for him._

"No."

He kept walking.

"Without so much as an apology?" The old bugger said, a little less urgently.

 _For what?!_ For that time he nearly attacked him on his throne.

"No."

He walked faster.

"Without so much as an insult?!" He'd had to raise his voice for his incredulity to reach Frankenstein now.

Frankenstein tottered to a stop. He turned around. "Your throne is an ugly, uninspired slab of rock, with no sense of interior decor and," he added in, just for good measure, "I _hate_ the floating diamonds."

The Lord sat back and gasped, hand covering his mouth. Frankenstein narrowed his eyes, scowling.

"You take that back."

"No."

"I'm the Lord of the nobles!"

"Yes."

"You'll never give up a chance to insult me, would you?"

Frankenstein smiled.

"Alright then," the Lord said, hand moving to prop up his head. He watched Frankenstein half-glower at him. "I hope it goes well for you. I hope that everything goes well for you."

 _"Go well for me?_ " Frankenstein only frowned. "So little faith."

"No. I place all my faith in you, Frankenstein."

Frankenstein frowned harder. He couldn't let the old bugger know how he was taken aback by that.

"You'll see Raizel again. I'm sure."

Frankenstein nodded once. "Is that all?"

"So impatient! Can't you let me reminisce just a little? It won't cut into your brooding time, I promise." The Lord straightened, crossed his legs over and leant on the other side of his throne.

"I understand that's all," Frankenstein snapped, but he didn't move to leave.

"You should tell Gejutel."

"I did."

"You told Gejutel before you told me?! I'm hurt."

Frankenstein turned again.

"Wait. Ragar. You should tell Ragar."

Frankenstein sighed, corner of his eye catching the Lord's. "Ragar would be hurt," the Lord stated.

"Ragar is a big boy. I'm sure he can deal with it."

"Then why tell Gejutel?"

Frankenstein took a few step back, facing the Lord again. "I wasn't intending on making this trip. Gejutel was supposed to alert you."

The Lord's face fell. _Aw. Tough luck._ But Frankenstein sighed, lifting his brows for a short moment. "Yet, here I am."

"You've shut the shrine?" the Lord asked lightly.

"Of course."

"Hmm."

Frankenstein didn't have anything to say. He wondered why he came here.

"How long will you look for him?"

He lifted his head, not a line in his face moving. "Until he is found."

"Hm."

With that, Frankenstein shot him something of a funny smile.

"Frankenstein…" The Lord's voice softened. "Don't feel guilty. This isn't your fault." The Lord smiled, warm and genuine. "Nothing was."

That stopped him in his tracks. He didn't say a thing.

"Cadis Etrama di Raizel will return."

The Lord had always been like that. Lofty, yet gentle. But always sincere. When it was him that said it like that, he believed it. The Lord had always trusted in Raizel. They had that in common.

"Goodbye," he said.

"Farewell, Frankenstein."

* * *

 _The Lord's throne really does have these giant floating diamond thingys at either side._


	5. No

On "Burn," chapter 12 of Monster after Frankenstein refused to tell him about the bunker at the bottom of the house.

* * *

 _No._

What a simple, two-letter word.

It could have been a little slip of the tongue and nothing more.

And how could he have kept speaking, kept walking down that hall and breathe through his lungs if Raizel had not let him. He half-expected it. Or maybe he wanted it, in some strange, ugly way. If Raizel had wanted it, Frankenstein could have disobeyed just once. And then, from the bottom of his heart, the pit of his stomach, be made to spill every emotion he'd ever felt, speak any phrase he'd ever thought, if Raizel had so much as willed it. That was the power Frankenstein had bestowed upon his master. He wouldn't even have had to lift a finger. Wouldn't so much as had to blink. Frankenstein would have felt his mind betray itself and unravel, slipping on the slightest, frailest whim on Raizel's part.

But Raizel didn't.

Raizel let himself be pushed to the side, his back hitting the frame of the crumbling door as Frankenstein rushed out of the room, still burning somewhere inside of him. Watched him leave down the hall and only followed him out when he knew Frankenstein wasn't going to stop.


	6. The Loyard Heir

Deleted scene between chapters 24 and 25 - the household travel to Lukedonia to get their Rai back.

* * *

The Loyard Heir

"Okay," Tao said, eyes focused over the controls of the plane. "You know. The last time Takeo, M-21 and I were here. We didn't exactly get off a landed plane like _normal people."_

Uproar started from behind the pilots seat as everybody spoke at once, M-21 distinctively groaning above them all. "Just land in the sea," Takeo said. "We can get out when we're hovering low." He shrugged as M-21 stared at him. "What? Better than a 180 degree vertical fall out of the sky."

"Then how do we get off the island?" M-21 said without emotion.

"IIIII'm just kidding, man," Tao said, taking his eyes off the monitor to make a face at the rest of them. "Lukedonia's in sight already. We'll land in the forest or something. There's plenty of that. We'll find a clearing, I'm positive."

M-21 spun around, annoyed. "What about the beach?" he suggested urgently. "Don't make us walk through miles of bush to find a house in the middle of nowhere. And by _us_ I mean _me_."

"There's…not enough beach for that, '21."

"Can we afford to lose this plane?" Takeo piped up slowly.

Suddenly, from the corner, Rael huffed loudly and crossed his arms. "What are you all? Idiots?"

Seira locked eyes with Rael for a brief moment. Rael dropped his arms, reassessing his attitude. "Ehem. The last time you lot were here it wasn't known that the _Noblesse_ was the intruder. _In which case,_ it wasn't an intrusion."

Takeo looked to M-21 and M-21 looked to Tao. None of them knew whether to take that as some sort of apology for the last time, or not. Regis narrowed his eyes at Rael, but he agreed. "What he's trying to convey is that we're welcome here — you guys included." His expression darkened, shoulders slumping. "…Lukedonia isn't a place that's supposed to make you feel like you need to _land in the sea,"_ he said quietly.

"Indeed." Seira got up from the back of the plane, walking straight down the aisle and seating herself in the copilot seat next to Tao. She put on a headset; Tao moved to fix the receiver for her. "We are going to land in my secondary courtyard."

"Your secondary what now?" Tao said to himself.

"Tao," Seira said, looking matter-of-factly at him. "I'm the Loyard Clan Leader."

Tao's brows shot up as he nodded. "Yeah. Yeah you are. Hm."

They flew over the large expanse of the Loyard estate, guided by Seira, until they landed on one of her courtyards.

"Alright!" Rael exclaimed boisterously, "Let's find the Noblesse. The Noblesse's mansion is located within the forest."

* * *

Notes

This idea was going to devolve into a huge redundant thing about Seira actually being a fully recognised Clan Leader with, like, an official guard and servants and advisors and people all clamouring to greet their beloved young Loyard heir. The trio (and co) get a huge welcome reception just for being Clan Leader Seira's Friends, totally the opposite of how the trio were treated the first time they stole away to Lukedonia in a plane's cargo hold. _Completely plot-useless to Monster,_ you can see why this Extra Stuff got cut. But I love Seira and it would be fun to see how the Trio would be treated thanks for their Connections ™, since they pretty much live with the equivalent of Lukedonian royalty.


	7. Janus

I should do a disclaimer: I have no affiliation with Noblesse.

Sometime around chapters 39 and 40 of Monster I wanted to show how Franken was before he met Rai. Like, the Franken that stalked down nobles to maim and murder them for contracting humans and making mutants. The Franken that Tesamu was proud of.

* * *

Janus

"It's him. The Human!"

Frankenstein smiled. "So you were looking for me after all?" he said, as if the very scant idea of it was preposterous. "Why are the knights of nobles pursuing someone like me?"

One of the taller, broader men took the lead when no one answered, staring at him like he was too afraid to take his eyes off him even for a moment. "To punish you for the crime of attacking nobles."

 _"Aha,"_ Frankenstein mused.

"Come with us," the noble commanded.

"Nope," Frankenstein said.

"Then we will have to resort to force." They unsheathed their weapons. All sorts of them, knives, swords, blunt sticks.

Frankenstein's back snapped into a crescent, his hands grabbing a fistful of hair as he laughed. He just laughed and laughed, leaning backwards into a dark, mewling sea of souls that took him with open arms. The nobles surrounded him, weapons drawn and impossible for Frankenstein to try wipe all at once. He would have to escape and run, but they would all remember, and the rest of them would be alerted.

Dark Spear sparked alive, the happiest they've ever been.

"Arrest me if you can, oh _great nobles."_

* * *

Dark Spear keened, whirling around Frankenstein in the blank space as they sang. Caught in the middle of a purple storm, Frankenstein did nothing to stop them from having their way with him. Outside, Frankenstein stood over the unconscious bodies of nobles.

One, two, three, four, five, six.

"This one." Frankenstein lifted his clawed hand, pointing to the last body on the left. "I recognise him. He was the one commanding the mutants at the edge of the town."

Dark Spear chittered, rearing up to caress the back of his neck. **_Yessss, that's the one…._**

"They bought back more this time. We need to be more vigilant."

 ** _Yessssssss._** Dark Spear rolled affectionally. **_Call us…_**

Frankenstein shook his head. "You don't recognise the others. If you had you'd be itching to tell me."

Dark Spear rolled back so that Frankenstein stood alone in the blank space.

 ** _So what iff we don't recognise it?_**

 ** _They're nobles._**

"Nobles…" Frankenstein closed his eyes. Dark Spear breathed in his face in the blankness, then broke away into nothing. Then Frankenstein's eyes snapped open and he scoffed like he had just thought of the most preposterous thing. "You're right. What does it matter who the rest of them are. All they've done is lay waste to humanity."

Dark Spear sparked alive again, coating up his arm in a fiery blaze.

"Nobles don't deserve to live."

 ** _No._**

* * *

"How about this." The man's voice sounded like green and purple bruising on the inside, and his breathing sounded like quiet rattling chains. "You've been reported one time too many, human. It's already too late. When my Clan Leader finds out I'm missing, _you're done for."_

The noble chained to his wall line-up lunged forward as best he could, spitting at Frankenstein's feet. Frankenstein crossed his legs the other way and put down his clipboard to rest on his knees. "And you're sure? One more tattle-tale and your Cult Leader comes out of the woodwork?"

"—Clan Leader!" the noble grunted.

Frankenstein smiled a friendly smile. "I see," he stated. "It looks like kidnapping and maiming nobles in bulk _has_ got me their attention."

The noble made the distinct sound of one whose air was slowly escaping their lungs. "You knew we're after you? You knew this entire time…"

"You're about the sixth person to spill the beans gloating about it this week," Frankenstein said sagely, adjusting his monocle. He frowned, took it off, blew on it with his breath, and wiped it on his chest before setting it back experimentally. When that remedy didn't satisfy him, he let it drop completely. "This single week."

"You're arrogant. You're—"

The noble shook his head, his eyes wide and crazed. He just stared, glaring at Frankenstein with a reproachful look. "You knew our people are trying to capture you. And yet you still take the offensive?"

"And yet who is it that has captured who?" Frankenstein said snidely.

"You're a criminal," the noble began, the start of another drawn-out tirade, "you're nothing but—"

"—You can end your intrepid lecturing here. I'm letting you go."

The noble's face blanked. "What?"

"Go back to your Cult Leader."

"…Clan Leader…"

"Tell him what I am."

"You're a criminal."

"I am human," Frankenstein said, "And I am angry."

* * *

 ** _You're a liar,_** Dark Spear once said to him.

Frankenstein's brows went up. "What?"

 ** _A liarrr,_** they slurred, fork-tongued.

Frankenstein flipped the next page of his book and moved to cross his legs the other way. "Are we just sharing some innocuous facts about ourselves? Or?"

Dark Spear chittered. There was a pressure at the back of his head. It wasn't painful or irritable, it just pressed in on him. The ever-present feeling of being alone but not-alone became apparent again. They said nothing. Frankenstein read the same line in his book three times without absorbing it.

The feeling of being watched used to drive him crazy. It was a knife he couldn't pull from his back, for he couldn't reach. Now it followed him everywhere, digging deeper and deeper. He had to learn how to shut it out.

"If you've something to say I'd rather you say it now than when I'm trying to cook the master of the house's dinner…"

 ** _You know what you are…_**

"That, I do."

 ** _He'll know, too._**

"Use some definitive language, I've no idea if you're talking about Kertia, Landegre, Agvain or Kravis."

Frankenstein did some mental math despite himself. Of course he'd lied to everyone he'd met here so far, it was the smart thing to do.

 _No, Mister Kertia, I don't have any plans that I would rip up in an instant to make time especially to fight you; oh look, I'm free tomorrow, today if you're up for it. Yes Mister Landegre, I plucked their nails from their fingers just for fun, and would absolutely do it again, like you insinuated. Hello Agvain, you thorn in the Noblesse's side, no he's definitely not home, stop coming here unannounced like an uncivilised swine. Ah, Roctis. We're on first name terms, aren't we? You look good today._

 ** _Him._**

"Well, since most of the list I've compileed identify as men, you'll have to be a bit more decisive in your wording, won't you?"

 ** _Him._**

"Cadis Etrama di Raizel."

They snickered as if they knew something Frankenstein didn't, and it made him look bad.

Sure, Frankenstein must have lied to him sometime. Small lies. White lies. Such as, _yes, Raizel-nim, it's completely normal to take your tea with this much sugar. Absolutely stately. Let me help you. Yes, Sir, my hands are faring much better after I use Dark Spear. I am fine. I can leave here when I like, anytime, without notice._

 ** _You're a liar. He will know soon. He will find out. He will hate—_**

"I've not the slightest idea what you're talking about. We've had this conversation before. _In fact,_ I have no want whatsoever to find out what you're talking about." Frankenstein held his book up to his face. "Get back in to your corner."

He flipped a page he didn't read. There was a long, quiet pause.

"…What have I said to him?" Frankenstein asked aloud.

 ** _Hmmmmm…_**

"What did I say?"

 ** _Not what you said. What you are._**

"Then what am I?"

 ** _A murderer,_**

 ** _Frankensteinnn._**

Frankenstein snapped his book shut. It tumbled to the floor in his anger, hitting it at odd edges and making a large sound. Frankenstein gripped the edge of the armchair.

"…He knows that," he said calmly. "He…knows."

 ** _You're a liar._**

"Everyone knows that here. That's what I must do."

 ** _You're a liar for playing pretend._**

 ** _For talking sweetly_**

 ** _And hating them all the while…_** Dark Spear sang. **_He thinks you're such a good man,_**

 ** _You think he should die._**

"I've never thought that a day in my life. And if I did, _you put it there!"_ Frankenstein said, a growl in his voice.

 ** _You hate nobles. We hate nobles,_**

 ** _Have you—_**

 ** _Forgotten?_**

Frankenstein grimaced and grit his teeth.

 ** _We should leave. We can't stay in the house of someone you need to cull. We should_** ** _—_**

"Well, we're staying here until I can weed out who the top contractors are! The chain of noble contractors, the ones giving commands to make mutants, starts here. Until then," Frankenstein picked up his book, "we're staying, and taking Raizel-nim's _generous hospitality,"_ he said through gritted teeth.

"You will get what you want, Dark Spear," Frankenstein said. "We are killing nobles. But only the right ones, from now on."

Dark Spear snapped their jaws shut, irate. **_You wanted them dead,_** they started, **_you wanted them all dead — you said you said you wanted—_**

"I did!" Frankenstein yelled.

"And now I don't."

* * *

Notes

Three different excerpts that I wrote at different times. Cut cos none of them worked for me. It's made pretty clear Franken only experimented on/killed the criminal nobles. He 'only took some blood' from the innocent ones before leaving them wiped: see chapter 239 flashback arc.

Dark Spear has changed a lot since early Who is the Monster. They/it used to only be able to say repetitve phrases and mumble things that sounded like it was trying to speak. Not they hold full arguments with their host. Dark Spear got a lot more eloquent as time went on, lol. What do you think of this?

Janus is the Roman god of of beginnings, transitions, change, time, passages, and ending. Janus is always depicted with two faces. (Fun fact, I almost named Zeroth Elder's Fake Name as Janus. But I'm glad I picked Faust.)


	8. Seira Speaks

This one is an early draft of Franken talking about his past with Seira. The rewritten scene has M-21 instead of Seira.

(I made the change because I thought I really needed to address Franken pushing M-21 away from that fight in chap 14-Relapse, and M-21 can relate better to Franken. The M-21 and Tesamu parallel turned out to be very good too. The boys who Franken took in - how similar they were - and then how different. But M-21 was so intense and Seira kept things calm for a break after all this drama.) Thanks to Laryna6 for helping me pick the M-21 version.

* * *

Seira Speaks

"Chairman Lee?"

Frankenstein looked up from leaning on the veranda railing. "Miss Seira? How may I help you?" He turned around, smiling softly, and was hit by her eyes again. He should have been used to it by now, but somehow, the red against the grey of his world was something he couldn't pull his attention from. Seira went up and leaned on the veranda next to him.

"You can ask me anything. I'll answer to the best of my ability," he assured.

"Fine. You said it yourself, Chairman."

Frankenstein smiled harder, wondering if he should regret that. Seira looked on at the cars passing by and began to talk.

"What will you do to Faust?"

Frankenstein lifted his brows, glancing at her. _Oh. So this was what she was waiting for._ "I don't know yet," he said honestly.

"You told us he was your student."

"My old apprentice, yes."

"I don't understand why he would do this. You said it's because he couldn't bear to see you contracted to the Noblesse, but I don't understand." Seira sighed, breath turning into wisps in the air.

"Seira," Frankenstein began, "what do you think of me?"

"What?"

Frankenstein gave her a smile before looking forward again.

"I think you're a good person. You vie for what's just and right — from treatment in the school to the happenings of the Union." She looked up. "You're a good teacher."

Frankenstein huffed, looking down and lingering on his pink slippers before replying. "But that's just how you see me now. In this age, I'm a principal of a high school who happens to fight a corrupt organisation on the side. I'm also responsible for the overall education of everyone in the school."

He paused.

"That wasn't who I was when I was with Tesamu," Frankenstein said, saying the name that Seira didn't know she could use. "I was a vengeful, bitter young git who was ready to condemn all noble kind for the actions of six traitor clan leaders. I was misguided." Frankenstein added and Seira nodded lightly.

"But that was a long time ago. Your arrival on Lukedonia challenged everything. I've heard of it from the elders."

"Gejutel," Frankenstein frowned.

"Gejutel-nim," Seira agreed. "Chairman, if not for you, the damage those traitors would have done is unthinkable. Within a few short decades, your suspicions surrounding them halted the Union's plans." Seira shrugged a shoulder. "And you were right to be angry. With all that happened because of mutants in the human world — I would be too."

Frankenstein began to chuckle, covering his mouth with the back of his hand, smiling into the crook of his elbow. "You are kind, Seira."

"It was you that taught me to flatter."

Frankenstein laughed louder, grinning.

"I meant every word I say, Chairman," Seira added.

Frankenstein quietened. "But I was responsible for that child. He had no one, so I took him in and taught him everything I knew. Because I thought…if nothing else, Tesamu could live on. However he chose to use what I gave him, it would be good. But I was the one who instilled his hate of mutants and above all, his hate of nobles. That was what he ultimately took away from me." Frankenstein smirked.

"What happened afterwards?" Seira asked. "You never saw him again?"

"No…he went on to stay with the Union. He found the research I left him — everything I did to create someone like me." Frankenstein looked to Seira, catching her eye for a moment before turning abruptly away.

"So Tesamu turned out exactly like me. Exactly what I would have been, _would still be_ , if not…" he swallowed, rolled his shoulders. "If not for the noblesse."

Slowly, he looked up to see her reaction. Seira only nodded, listening intently.

Frankenstein continued. "It's a joke, how I didn't recognise my own powers the moment Tesamu walked into my office that night. He was right about that. I'd changed so much." He pondered for a moment, wondering what else to say.

"Change is inevitable," Seira began, and the sureness in her voice made Frankenstein look towards her. Seira looked on beyond the veranda. "Back then, you were fighting for what you thought was right. You were right about the source of the mutants, but wrong about nobles. When I first met you and there was a lapse in my connection with Regis, I was ready to fight you, Chairman, for what I thought was right. It wasn't." She peered at him, blinking.

"I know that what I said cannot be equated to what happened back then, but it still stands," Seira said. She pulled back from the railing, no longer leaning on it but clutching it loosely as she turned back to the view. "I have learnt that you are a good man. Just as you have learnt that my people are not a bad people," Seira said, raising her head. Wind tousled her hair over her face, and she daintily drew it to a side.

"Tesamu has also changed, but he has changed for the worst. He's committed great atrocities that I cannot turn a blind eye to," she started, clear and resolute.

"Chairman, Tesamu is not a child anymore. He is hundreds of years old. It doesn't matter what you taught him or wanted him to do — he chose the wrong path. He made the wrong decisions. And for that, he is responsible for them. You cannot keep treating him like a child."

Frankenstein's eyes widened at that. Here was Seira, telling him everything he needed to hear and she was right. He felt immensely thankful and incredibly unsure at the same time.

"What should I do, Seira?" Frankenstein asked suddenly, and probably incredibly inappropriately. By the time he said the words, it was too late to take them back. "The answer should be obvious," he said with a wry smile, "but I don't want to kill him."

Seira didn't answer. It wasn't something he could remotely ask Seira to solve, and Frankenstein kicked himself mentally.

"I don't know," she said after a pause. "But with time, you will know." Seira shifted again, hair steaming down her shoulders. "One more question, Chairman."

"Anything."

"What will you do when Raizel-nim wakes up?"

Frankenstein mentally flinched. An honest answer might have been: get on my knees and beg forgiveness, but he felt that reply wouldn't do. "I don't...I think," he said stupidly. "…I'll need to check his vitals, actually. Master's health is of prime importance. And he deserves tea. Tea and cookies. I haven't baked in a long time and should. I — I guess we're back to eating ramen for dinner…" Frankenstein rambled, colour touching upon his cheeks and Seira just stared.

Finally, he drew in a long breath of air, making a face. "I have no idea how to make things right with Master," Frankenstein sighed. "We spoke so fleetingly at the lakeside."

A breeze fluttered around them and Frankenstein sighed. The smell of something fragrant and sweet filled the air and it was jarring for a moment, though he wasn't in the mind to think of it

"I wonder what would he say to me when he wakes up, too."

"He'll say: welcome home."

Frankenstein swivelled around, hair whipping across Seira's triumphant, 'my-work-here-is-done' face. The black and whites all turned, the world went all focussed and sharp as Frankenstein's stomach plummeted, his throat clenched and his eyes were instantly drawn to the red.

"He'll say that he is most happy to see you. That he's slumbered as fast as he could to meet you again."

Frankenstein stood on the veranda, eyes at their widest, a boneless feeling in his legs that made him feel shaky and ready to topple at any given moment. His body felt weak and despite the colourlessness of everything, he could feel the warmth flood onto his cheeks and redden them.

"He's thought about it for a long time, but he still doesn't know what kinds of things are the right things to say."

Cadis Etrama di Raizel was standing in the house behind him, feet closed together, back straight and head held forward in a practiced, sure-set kind of manner. In his hands was the most ridiculously large bouquet Frankenstein had ever seen, composed completely of tulips — none of them white — that looked about ready to die and fall off the limp stems. Petals littered the floor behind him, as if in his hurry, he hadn't noticed the mess.

"But this is for sure — he thinks that Frankenstein is wonderful, and that Frankenstein is someone he will always cherish."

A sound slipped out of Frankenstein's mouth. He stared on, processing it all.

"He thinks that you deserved better, and he wants to be better for you," Raizel smiled. "He hopes that you will like the flowers…He is very embarrassed of what transpired at the lakeside. He is very embarrassed right now…he has run out of words to say…Tao had advised him to 'just say the truth'…"

Frankenstein shook to life again. Slowly, he walked back into the house, eyes fixed on Raizel with a soft look on his face. He closed the space between them, finally stopping right before Raizel. A relatively long moment passed, and Frankenstein had still not averted his eyes.

"…The children have not clearly advised me what to do is this situation. I am panicking," Raizel said, quiet and raspy. With cold, rigid hands, Raizel held out the flowers to Frankenstein. "I know I've said it on the beach, but,

"I am sorry."

With one fling of his arm, Frankenstein batted the tulips right out of Raizel's hold, scattering the floor with sunken petals. Raizel froze. Worriedly, he looked towards the tulips, then back at Frankenstein, then down to his outstretched hands. Slowly, he lowered them.

"Frankenstein, I—"

Frankenstein stepped forward, clasping his arms around Raizel and drawing him into an embrace. Blond hair fell over his clothes and a chin dug into his back. Raizel gasped. This was far beyond a pat on the shoulder and he felt suddenly, very incompetent. With a small delay, he wrapped his arms around Frankenstein and the action made him squeeze harder, tighter, until every length of space between them was filled and Raizel felt, for the first time in months, right. For now, the world and everything in it felt alright.

"Is this permissible?" Frankenstein asked belatedly over his shoulder.

"Of course," Raizel answered.

"I love the flowers," Frankenstein exclaimed, "thank you."

"You're more than welcome."

Frankenstein felt close and warm and familiar to Raizel. They held on for a moment longer, just resting in each other's embrace.

From the veranda, Seira put up a thumbs up to a side window, where muffled chattering was coming from.

* * *

Notes

Yeah this draft of them reuniting is far too cheesy. When I wrote this draft, I hadn't even written those Tesamu Dark Spear dreams yet. Also the weird, sudden pov change is ?

On a side note, I really love all the different things people call Franken. It's definitely due to different translations but I love it anyway.

Seira usually goes "Chairman Lee," or even "Director Lee."

The trio call Franken either his name or "Boss." Tao goes "Boss" the most, and I'm sure M-21 says the most "Frankenstein" compared to "Boss."

Regis...not sure if this is just me but I think he calls Franken "Principal," or "Principal Lee." I'm sure Seira has called him this at one point too.

And some other top picks: "Traitor of the Humans." "That Peacock." "The Noblesse's Bonded." "Is the principal the Devil™?"

And there's also Tesamu's "Teacher/mentor" and the best translation by far done by egscans, "Professor" in fic.


	9. Coughing Fit

This lighthearted scene was unfortunately Too Dumb for me to put in the real thing in chapter 43 What's in a Name. So here you go. But be warned, it's kind of dumb.

* * *

Coughing Fit

Frankenstein gasped awake and bolted upright. For a few moments, he just sat there, his chest heaving. He knew what he had to do, knew that Raizel was awake and real and only metres away from him, knew what he had to do would change everything. Frankenstein closed his eyes, swallowed back hard, squeezed his covers. Then his body just moved, getting up, forcing a wave of aura down his body causing a neat, black suit to materialise. He marched down the corridor while tying his bow, taking notice of the open doors of empty rooms. The household already knew and were probably there. Frankenstein was proven right when he heard chatter in the living room ahead, and he—

"—What about bibimbap?"

"Boss' Boss?"

A pause.

"We can't eat ramyeon for every meal, Raizel-nim. You can eat other things that aren't ramyeon. Not everything needs rameyon. Ramyeon isn't a breakfast food. Besides. You've had enough, we had it everyday in the mansion with you."

"…Then I will oblige," came a deep, soft-spoken voice, "With your expertise."

Frankenstein stopped, midstep. The realness of this driving into him, as sure as a chill. All of a sudden he was so profoundly aware that not only had he been caught totally off guard by Raizel's awakening, he had not been at his side when it had happened. He wasn't prepared for this. Frankenstein sighed sharply. How could he ever be? What had happened the last time Raizel had walked back into his life, him not even noticing who exactly it was in front of him until he lifted his head?

Frankenstein swallowed again. He began frantically touching his hair, pressing down flyaway strands only to reach his bow and discover the heinously asymmetrical loops. Frankenstein gasped sharply again and began retying the bow.

"You didn't miss much. Regis' Grandpa came by. You should probably text him, let him know you're up. Oh, we got a new door. It's like the old one, but…different."

"Don't worry! We'll teach you how to open it — it's even easier than the last, just need your fingerprint. Newest tech, and all."

"What he means to say is that you no longer need to memorise a passcode to enter, Raizel-nim. You need only a fingerprint, of which you have on your person at all times."

"…No! It's got nothing to do with cutting your finger! It's not a blood sample! What the hell, Raizel."

Frankenstein was still retying his bow for the third time. It still wasn't right, it still — he restarted again. What was he doing? All he had to do was tell the truth. All he had to do was step out. He would step out and Raizel would be there, all he had to do was —

"Plus, it would be good if you could act sick. We've been telling Shinwoo and Yuna and them that you've been sick. It's not that hard. Just cough a little. Like this."

The sound of someone dying via a coughing fit echoed in all directions. As Frankenstein approached, the first thing he could see was Tao sprawled all over the coffee table, hands legs in the air as he feigned a medical emergency.

"Don't touch me!" M-21 growled, batting Tao's hand away from him as he reached for help, his other hand clutching at his neck.

"Don't cough on me!" Takeo sighed, and shrugged a half-heartedly apology to those opposite him.

"Your technique is off," Regis folded his arms. "I've seen humans cough. It certainly doesn't look like that. It looks like this." He covered his mouth and made an inelegant noise.

"That's a sneeze," M-21 muttered under his breath, his nose crinkling. "And you didn't even do that right."

"What?! M-21!" Regis turned his nose up. "If you have something to say, perhaps you should have the decency to share it with the rest of us."

"That's a _sneeze,"_ M-21 said with a rise in his voice. "And people do that at things they're allergic to. Like you."

 _"What?!"_

"Regis, calm yourself," Seira turned to him. "If he says it's not right then it's not right. M-21 is human." She turned back to M-21 and Takeo sitting on the table. "It is important to get it right, especially if Raizel-nim is to effectively feign sickness to validate our cover story."

M-21 turned away, grinning. "…Yeah."

"Does no one care that I am going to lose my lungs coughing for Sir Raizel?!" Tao suddenly, the coughing fit miraculously cured. "I was acting my heart out!"

"You were dying from tuberculosis," Takeo corrected. "There was nothing we could do for you."

"So much for no RK left behind. What is this, anyway? M-21, you couldn't hold my hand as I coughed to my death?"

"No."

"What — we can cure tuberculosis!"

"It was late stage," Takeo said.

Regis scoffed from the other end. "Fine. Show me how it's done. What does this so-called _'coughing'_ look like, if not a physical reaction to the cold."

"Or allergies," Seira added.

"Or _allergies."_

"Fine." M-21 covered his mouth. "Here." He coughed twice, unconvincingly. Frankenstein thought it sounded like choking.

"…Believable," Seira said. She sat up and clapped for him, causing Takeo to nod and clap along as well.

M-21 smirked, letting it easily go to his head. "But the reason that I had to cough isn't because of a disease. You can cough at allergies too."

Regis growled. "What are you saying, M-21?!"

M-21's eyes darted to the side, catching someone else's eye. "I'm saying I'm allergic to people who try to talk over Sir Raizel."

Regis gasped, turning his head at the speed of light to the one seated next to him.

"I…"

Frankenstein, listening from the corridor, braced upon hearing the voice.

"…I know how to cough," Raizel said from the couch. "I have personal experience…on 'coughing.' You need not concern yourselves so much." But there was nothing but admiration in his eyes as he looked over the children.

"Wait a minute. You couldn't have stopped me there before I gave an oscar-worthy cough performance, Sir?" Tao asked.

Raizel took a moment to answer, but the household was used to his lapses and the small silence upon them wasn't uncomfortable at all. "I did not wish to interrupt."

"Yeah." M-21 looked down at his hands. "He didn't want to interrupt. Unlike _some_ people."

"M-21!" Regis started again, falling for M-21's taunts every time.

"Regis. You let him do this to you every time." Seira brushed her skirt twice, sighing. "And M-21…you should refrain."

"Hm…" M-21 shrugged guiltily.

"Alright, now that we've got that out of the way, we should talk about our next point of contention." Takeo scrolled through his phone for a few seconds before looking up. He addressed Raizel. "We told Shinwoo, Yuna and them that while you were getting treatment for your tuberculosis—"

"—Wait, that sounds way too bad, we can't tell them he got that. That's too sad."

"It's just a stand-in for now because of you, Tao. Anyways, we kind of told them that…you were living with your Aunt overseas," Takeo finished.

A bout of silence followed.

Takeo sat straight, getting serious. "In other words, we have to make up Sir Raizel's non-existent Aunt."

"I think…" Raizel started. "That is enough for today. They are all waiting for you, Frankenstein. When will you show yourself?"

Tao flipped around, his eyes going wide as saucers, "— _Frankenstein!"_

Everyone turned to look. It felt so long ago when Frankenstein had once left this house every day for work and come home to nobody, almost alien. M-21 and Takeo leapt up from sitting on the table as if it had burnt them, like children caught redhanded doing something they shouldn't have. They'd done it to sit closer to the others currently huddled in a tight circle.

Tao followed their example and scrambled to get up as well. His face lit up with a large, toothy grin. Directly opposite, Regis and Seira got up from the couch, just obscuring the one seated next to them.

"Chairman, you're here," Seira greeted.

"Principal!" Regis said, eyes twinkling.

"Finally," M-21 rolled his eyes, but the smile on his face betrayed him.

"Sorry, didn't want to wake you. You were finally getting more than a few hours of sleep a night," Takeo explained, taking a step towards him. "Someone might have…tinkered…with your alarm."

"Frankenstein," came the voice on the couch, and all eyes shifted back towards it.

Slowly, Raizel rose, stepping between the household and thanking each of them with a small nod.

There was Raizel. He was wearing uniform again, a white Yeran jacket with a cravat. There were a few strands of black hair dangling between his eyes, tousled from turning to look.

"Good morning," Frankenstein smiled.

He slowly turned his attention to Tao. "…I hope you are going to sanitise the table you coughed all over, Tao." His brow twitched slightly, and unable to stop himself, Frankenstein summoned a few sparks of beige aura behind him.

Tao's smile wilted a little. "You…heard that? Haha, it wasn't real…I'm not sick, I swear. I mean, _yes, of course I'll clean it."_

Frankenstein crossed his arms. "M-21, Seira's right. Stop taunting Regis so much, it's going to make him impulsive and hot-headed like you are."

"I think he was already like that."

"HEY—" Regis started again, and Seira had to hold him back.

"No. He's like Gejutel." Frankenstein looked to Regis, seeing the anger fade from him in an instant at that mention, and smirked. "Only, Gejutel knows when to pick his fights, Regis."

Regis's face looked like he was taking it all to heart. "I see…Gaju-nim does know when to… _I see."_

"Seira. Don't feel the need to encourage these three when they're spewing microbes all over my furniture, and that was clearly not a convincing cough. And you three…" Frankenstein sighed, "There are seats in this house for you to sit on. Do you expect the noblesse to eat cookies from a table you have acquainted your rears with? Do you expect him to drink tea over a table you have grievously mistook for a couch? You can shift the seats and the couch closer if you must!"

Takeo's face seem to light up, getting a revelation. "Wait, you would have let us move your stuff around?"

Frankenstein nodded. "If it averts this," he said, gesturing to the table, "Then, _yes."_

"Frankenstein," Raizel said, his voice a little louder than average.

Frankenstein stopped, his face going soft as he looked to Raizel.

"You are in a good mood," Raizel started, "But…the household does not know that. Do not mislead them."

"Yes, yes, Master," Frankenstein said. He turned to the rest of them. "You're noisy…but that's why I was in a good mood."

Tao looked at Takeo. Takeo looked at M-21. M-21 was staring at Frankenstein. "What?"

"I should apologise knowing how you all dislike to be interrupted. But I wish to speak to my Master," Frankenstein said. "If you all could…"

"Oh, that's easy," Tao said, going past Frankenstein and slapping his shoulder. "Alright, we'll hit the supermarket buying what we discussed, Sir Raizel," Tao said happily.

"Yes. I will cook a big meal today. Please wait until we get back." Seira bowed slightly before gesturing for the rest of them to follow. She stopped suddenly as she remembered something. "Lunark and Lord Muzaka went out shortly ago…I am not sure if they will come back. But if they do, it will be late."

"I'll find Rael and Rajak-nim," Regis said as he put on his shoes. "They're out patrolling, I'll have them join us at the supermarket later."

Then household filed out of the house, eagerly shepherding one another out. "Hey, Prof?" M-21 glanced back before closing the door behind them, and Frankenstein thought back to what he'd said to him on the veranda. M-21 opened his mouth to say something, but then decided against it. "Nothing, _Prof,"_ M-21 smirked, shook his head vigorously, and shut the door.

The only ones left in the house were Raizel and Frankenstein.

* * *

It might be dumb but I love writing the Frankenhouse as a Frankenfamily.

I'm sorry I haven't been able to write more, I just haven't the inspiration. I've got one chapter left written for Monster and then I will have to go on break to finish it. Thank you for reading.


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